Prelude to War
by Cheloya
Summary: OLD. DISCONTINUED. Hellsing/Yu Yu Hakusho crossover. Demons have been summoned to the human world and it's up to Hellsing and a few unlikely allies to stop them.
1. Back to the Front

Disclaimer: I do not own _Hellsing_ or _Yu Yu Hakusho_ or any of the characters or concepts contained therein. No profit is made by the writing of this fic bar my own entertainment and hopefully the entertainment of others.

Author's Notes: This is a crossover of _Hellsing_ and _Yu Yu Hakusho_, set after the conclusion of both anime series. For _Hellsing_, this means that no information about the Millennium organisation has been revealed. It also means that Seth was in fact summoned at some stage and Integra is missing the 'Fairbrook' portion of her full name. Please keep in mind that I have read only up to the third volume of the _Hellsing_ manga and therefore have absolutely no idea of how the whole Millennium thing pans out. I've met Dandy, the Mad Major and the 'Dok', heard of Rip and Schro, but that's about it. I _have_ seen the entirety of both anime series. Since the majority of this is based entirely around Hiei and Kurama, I think I'll be all right on YYH-pertinent details. But do not hesitate to tell me if you think I'm wrong – I only have really, _really_ bad English subtitles for everything following Genbu in Maze Castle to go on.

Warnings: Violence, abuse, rampant innuendo, homosexuality, heterosexuality and other potentially offensive things. To be absolutely blatant, this will involve **SHOUNEN-AI**. That means a **MALE-MALE RELATIONSHIP**. (Funny how that's somehow the most offensive thing, isn't it?) If you don't like it, don't read this fic. If you do read it and you get narky at me, I will laugh at your stupidity.

Pairings: (If you didn't catch it from the aboveâ€) Kurama/Hiei. Seras/Alucard. And an itty, litty, bittle piece of Integra/Enrico – yes, I am weird. ;P

**PRELUDE TO WAR**

**Part One – Back to the Front**

In a dimly lit but nonetheless stately office with a chessboard ceiling and floor, a young woman slouched in a high-backed leather chair, if it could be called slouching. Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing did not slouch, nor did she lounge. But whatever it could be called, it was not an optimistic form of sitting.

People were dying. There was not an exceptionally large body count yet – there were only three bodies in the morgue. However the state of those bodies was bad enough to encourage a swift, decisive end to the killer. The blood had been drained from the victims; that much was true, but these were far from average vampire attacks. The bodies had been skinned except for the scalp, which had been shaved of all hair. The eyes had been removed completely.

The corpses had not turned into ghouls, which gestured away from a FREAK attack and indeed from a vampire attack in general – at least two of the victims were most definitely _not_ virgins. Integra had spoken to the children of both victims.

She felt vaguely ill letting herself realise that both lumps of bloodless, mutilated flesh had a partner and children. _God._

Integra stubbed out her cigar in the glass ashtray beside the open manilla folder on her desk. She was thankful beyond belief that the photographs the folder contained were in black and white. She didn't want to see the corpses in full colour ever again. Nevertheless, she allowed her mind to sift back over the information that the Hellsing agency had collected.

Integra's platinum blond hair hung to the middle of her back. It was the only part of her that was completely untamed, but even it hung straight, uniform and businesslike, running in a fine pale gold river over slim shoulders clad in a white business shirt and a bottle green suit. One lightly browned, slim-fingered hand flitted to the sky blue tie at her neck to adjust the tiny gold cross, pinned there.

She and the rest of Hellsing had no idea of what could have attacked these people, but it was sure to attack again. Integra closed her eyes and frowned a little more deeply, feeling a tension headache start to build behind her temples. Whatever it was, it drained blood. That suggested vampire. It also mutilated things. That, to Integra, suggested FREAK. But she had been through this train of thought a dozen times – if it _was_ a FREAK, why hadn't the corpses mutated into ghouls? Unless the manufacturers of the FREAK chips had somehow managed to cut off that particular aspect of vampiric nature

Integra scowled darkly and dug in her pocket for her pack of cigars as the door opened soundlessly on well-oiled hinges. Walter, her faithful retainer and butler, approached bearing a tray with a pot of tea, a small plate of biscuits and some brightly coloured wrappers that looked to Integra like butterscotch. The man's dark hair had greyed a little since the incident at the Tower of London in response to the trauma, but his hairline had receded no further and the man was as sharp and quick-fingered as ever. Integra suddenly found herself _not_ holding her cigars.

"Try sugar first." Walter suggested, his voice pitched at the pleasant, well-modulated tone that Integra had come to expect of him over the years. She glared at him as he smirked almost imperceptibly and took a candy irritably. Walter poured her a cup of tea and sweetened it in accordance with the butterscotch she had just popped into her mouth.

"It's getting dark." She muttered.

As though on cue, a low chuckle emanated from the wall to Integra's left. A tall, pale-looking man with blood-red clothing swaggered out through the wood paneling. He made a mocking sort of bow and grinned, teeth too long and sharp to be human flashing obnoxiously in the dim lighting. "My master."

Integra's frown deepened. "What do you want, Alucard?"

The vampire Alucard grinned ever wider, the lenses of his circular glasses glinting the shades of the sunset behind the closed blinds. "How rude."

Integra and Walter both gave the vampire a look. The young director of the Hellsing organisation said, "You've found something." Alucard's smile became, if possible, more satisfied than ever. "Start talking."

The vampire's lips twitched, but evidently he had decided not to irritate his master tonight. "There are two demons in a hotel room about five blocks east of Hyde Park."

This had little effect on Integra's irritated expression, but she did stop chewing her butterscotch. "Demons. In a hotel room."

"To be precise, one demon and one in possession of a human form." Alucard replied airily. "The demon has an admirable eye collection." Integra chewed violently on her butterscotch. There was a loud crunch and a soft sound of pain as she tried to detach the sticky substance from her teeth. Walter proffered tea. Integra took it without so much as batting an eyelid.

"They must be behind the deaths. In any case, I will not have demons in this city. Alucard, take the police girl with you. Search and destroy."

Alucard's lips stretched into an enormous Cheshire Cat-style grin and he faded into nothingness almost immediately, leaving only the grin behind. The teeth clicked lightly, eerily together as he replied merely, "My master."

* * *

Seras Victoria was not particularly happy to be hauled out of her coffin at the crack of dusk, but neither had she been particularly happy to be in the coffin in the first place. So it was with a particularly apathetic view on unlife that she clambered out of bed and pulled on her boots at the behest of an uncharacteristically elated Alucard.

"Wh-wh-what are you so happy about, master?" She asked, stifling a yawn and brushing the other hand through short, scruffy strawberry-blond hair to get it into line. Her master smiled down at her and Seras felt a little chill of foreboding run down her spine. When her master smiled like that, people died.

"We're going demon hunting."

* * *

A/N: Comments are appreciated.


	2. The Dark Flame

All disclaimers and notes contained in the first chapter.

**PRELUDE TO WAR**

**Part Two – The Dark Flame **

_Finally recover _

_And the mood is right_

_Looking up into a neon sky_

_The child in me takes over_

_It's been too long since the last time that I tried to fly_

"Body Crumbles" Queen of the Damned OST

Alucard stood on top of the hotel itself, waiting for the Police Girl to inform him that she had reached the fourth floor. There was a cold breeze. It lifted the fine black strands of his hair and sifted through them lightly, as though pleased by the texture. Alucard felt the barest psychic brush against his mind and nearly sighed – the Police Girl really needed to work on her telepathy.

_Are you ready, Police Girl?_ He asked, latching firmly onto her mind. An affirmative filtered through the link and Alucard grinned and leapt from the roof. _On the count of three._ The tail of his red jacket streamed out behind him and he tilted his head slightly so that he wouldn't lose his hat. He liked this hat.

He pulled out the Jackal and flexed his fingers. _Three!_

There was someone sitting on the sill of the open window, not paying attention to the outside world. No time for that. Alucard grabbed the ledge just above the window as he fell and swung himself inside, crashing into the person as he did so. Skidding to a halt inside, he saw the person – _demon_, he reminded himself with a fanged grin – blur over to the side of a red haired and apparently human someone lounging on the bed. The Police Girl had slammed the door open just as he'd entered and was eyeing both demons with distrust down the barrel of a hand gun. "Hands up, demon scum!"

The red head's eyes were wide, a fresh, innocent green. Alucard actually had to use his nose to determine whether he was male – he was tall and slender and beautiful with pale skin and full lips, for all that he looked shocked at the moment. The other, dressed all in black, was considerably shorter with childlike features that fiercely contrasted a set of furious, smouldering red eyes.

Alucard grinned. "So... demons."

The redhead's eyes, if possible, widened a little more. Then they narrowed. "So... vampires." To Alucard's great pleasure, the demon slid gracefully from the bed and ran a hand through his hair. There was a burst of strange demon energy and the redhead's hand came away filled with a rose. Alucard chuckled. The shorter demon was more straightforward, holding a Japanese-style sword at the ready.

"What do you want with us?" The redhead's voice was calm, low and melodic. Seras gritted her teeth against the easy charm in that voice. "Speak slowly and clearly, please."

"You are the creatures behind the latest series of deaths in London." Alucard answered easily. Green eyes narrowed slightly as though the words were foreign. Then a grim smile appeared on his shapely face.

"No. But you'll try to kill us anyway." The black-haired demon hissed something at his partner and the redhead nodded, expression becoming less pleased with the situation. He replied in the same flowing, complex-sounding language and held out the rose at arms' length. "I should warn you, my partner doesn't like being taken by surprise." A light smirk curled the lips. "I find it quite amusing."

Alucard grinned. He almost liked this foreign demon. His opponent twitched the rose and murmured something to the second demon, whose brows dipped so violently that they became visible below the white bandanna across his forehead. Seras let out a soft gasp and fired the handgun as the darker demon raised his blade and took the offensive, moving towards her so fast that he blurred.

The shot ricocheted off the wall and Alucard made a soft sound of amusement as he, too, shifted into motion. They were safety rounds, made to make a mess of humans but not go through walls. They hadn't bothered bringing any silver ammunition since as far as they knew it was useless against demons. Alucard pulled the trigger and was both pleased and surprised when the redhead dodged the first bullet and avoided another from the Police Girl with a neat spring across the apartment's unused bed.

With another surge of the strange demonic power, the redhead flicked his wrist. "Rose Whip!" The rose in his hand mutated instantaneously, elongating into what Alucard was indeed forced to call a rose whip. Easily five meters long, its diameter was roughly similar to that of his index finger. However, his index finger did not have inch-long thorns at regular intervals along its length. Alucard fired another shot, aimed directly at the youth's forehead.

There was a flash of green. Two halves of the bullet went their separate ways with a loud 'CRACK' and a portion of the rose whip flopped to the ground. However, when the redhead retracted it, it seemed completely unharmed. Alucard's eyes lit up. "You're fast." He murmured in approval.

The Police Girl, meanwhile, was not having as much fun as her master. The smaller demon was so fast that not even her vampiric speed could touch him. Fortunately his blade wasn't silver, or she'd have been in real trouble. She was bleeding, but only slightly – she had fed earlier in the evening – and it didn't exactly hurt. The strength of the blows knocked her off-balance, though, making it ever more difficult to aim her handgun. She finally lunged at the demon, making it inside the range of his blade. He immediately raised an arm to fend her off, but she raised the handgun and pulled the trigger – she was so close, she _had_ to hit _something_.

The demon's head jerked back and blood spattered the floor. The battle between the red-haired demon and her master paused for a moment as the whip-wielder spun around with an anguished cry of, "Hiei!" Seras raised her weapon to take careful aim and several things happened at once.

The first was that Alucard's eyes widened – he'd lost his glasses underfoot long ago. "Police Girl!" He raised the Jackal.

The second was that the red-haired demon let out a blood-curdling battle cry, lashing the gun from her hand and indeed, dividing it into two separate parts. Alucard's Jackal suffered a similar fate, and though he only lost part of the magazine, he also lost most of his hand.

The third was that from behind her, the black-haired demon had raised his hand towards her and said something that sounded like "Jaou Ensatsu...!"

She didn't hear the rest as fire exploded all over her body. She could only scream.

* * *

"Police Girl!"

_Stupid!_ Hadn't he taught her better than that, didn't she _know_ not to turn her back on an opponent until he was most certainly dead? It would have been a little more acceptable had they only been ghouls, but these were not mere FREAKS, not even mere vampires – these were demons, some of the most powerful and dangerous creatures the world had to offer. And she'd turned her back on one of them. He raised the Jackal and focused along its length, aiming for the forehead of the black-haired demon. The blood soaking over the white bandanna was almost too much of a focus.

He was surprised when the red-haired demon twirled the whip into action, taking off most of the barrel of the Police Girl's handgun and also removing his thumb, index and middle fingers along with half the magazine of the Jackal. Alucard watched with half an eye as his beloved gun clattered to the floor, noting how odd it was that the demon would act to save his companion.

_Lovers._

He paid no attention to the thought as the black-haired demon raised a hand. "Jaou Ensatsu...!" An explosion of black flame and the Police Girl's scream of agony cut off the rest of his words. Alucard's eyes widened. _He summoned the flame?_ The red-haired demon flipped away to stand behind his mate, whip held at the ready once more.

Seras wept bloody tears, patted frantically at her arms, her body, but to no avail – the fire would not be suffocated. Alucard's upper lip pulled back in a furious snarl as the red-haired demon spoke over the horrible screams.

"If you leave now, he'll put out the fire." He said, voice still pleasant enough over Seras' cacophony. "If you do not... how long would you say she has, Hiei?" He added as the female vampire collapsed.

The red-eyed fury glared at Alucard, an almost imperceptible smirk tugging at the cupid's bow mouth. He said something curt but complicated in the odd, flowing language Alucard now recognised to be Japanese. Green eyes glittered. "If you don't leave, about two seconds. If you do, he will suppress the flames when you are more than two miles away."

Alucard's expression darkened. For all her aloof pretences, Integra had warmed to the Police Girl of late. She would not take the destruction of one of her best agents lightly. And with power over dark flame, it was entirely possible that even Alucard wouldn't survive a direct assault from the dark demon. He grit his teeth, sketched a bow and scooped Seras Victoria into his arms. "You may expect us when she has healed." He assured them with a venomous smile. He took his leave through the window, abandoning the Jackal with reluctance.

The black-haired demon, whose name was Hiei, sheathed his sword and tore the white bandanna from his forehead. A slit in the skin widened and finally split open to reveal a third eye with a purple iris. It glowed slightly as his other two eyes slid slowly closed. He spoke in clear, fluent Japanese: "They're headed... west. Very fast – already one hundred and fifty metres..."

The redhead's rose whip made a soft _schloop_ and became a single rose again. He tucked it away in his hair and looked around the room with a sigh. Side-stepping the bed, he walked to the bedside table, where two tiny silver earrings lay side by side. He tossed one to Hiei and clipped one into place in his own ear. "Let's just leave, shall we? No one will ever believe two foreigners were attacked in their hotel room. The landlord didn't like that we were Japanese, anyway."

"Get your pretty things then, Kurama." Hiei replied with a smirk, not bothering to open his eyes as he attached his own earring. Kurama chuckled and rested a pale hand on his shoulder, scooping the bandanna from the smoking floor and giving it a brief lick before applying it to the other demon's bleeding face.

"If you can track them with the Jagan, there's no need to leave right away. Their powers will be weaker during the day... and I must tend to this, or it will scar." He finished in a matter of fact tone. "Come into the bathroom, I need clean water."

Hiei snorted, but allowed himself to be led into the pitiful excuse for a bathroom. As he understood it, English _ningen_ were barbarians in comparison to the Japanese – or at least, they stank more. He was intensely pleased that Koenma had organised their transportation – he would have suffocated in a flying death trap. (Known to the rest of the human world as an aeroplane, but Hiei was less than tolerant of humanity at the best of times.) Kurama tugged him over to stand in front of the sink and he stood there, arms crossed, eyes closed.

"Make sure you stop her from burning," The red-haired demon reminded him, turning the water on with a deft flick of his wrist and holding a hand towel in the flow for a few seconds.

"Hn." Hiei replied. He hissed slightly as Kurama pressed the damp cloth to his cheek, where the girl's bullet had cut into the skin. Kurama kissed the top of his head and murmured soothing words – needlessly; Hiei knew by now that the red-haired demon would do things as painlessly as possible – growing in his other hand several small plants, which he set down around the sink. Hiei waited until the male vampire had passed outside the two mile radius before he reached out with a little of his _youki_ and snuffed out the demonic flame he had set to the female vampire's form.

* * *

Alucard glanced down as the black flames abruptly sank down into nothingness with a soft hiss. The Police Girl's skin was black and flaking, cracked like the clay of a riverbed in a drought. None of the dark fire had transferred itself to his clothing, confirming his suspicions that the shorter demon, Hiei, was a master fire-wielder. He'd heard of demons like this, but he had never met any before. He grinned slightly. It would be very exciting, visiting them again.

A twinge of guilt niggled at the back of his mind as the Police Girl began to stir, a soft moan escaping her lips, cracking halfway through. With some of his own powers, Alucard clamped down on her consciousness, sending her back into a deep, peaceful slumber. She would need blood. Quite possibly more blood than the Hellsing Organisation had to spare, these days. He brushed the thought aside – he'd gone without blood for decades, he could do it for a few days without any ill effects.

She would have to take more of his own blood, he suspected, in order to heal. His smile became a touch more normal, almost satisfied. At least one good thing would come of this. Even if he _had_ lost his gun. The grin overtook his face again.

Walter would be _so_ displeased.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to **riskygamble**, the only reviewer. :) I was seriously considering having Hiei and Alucard have a beat-up over their many, many eyes... but it honestly never occurred to me to have Kurama and Walter duke it out over whip-like things. chuckle Perhaps later.


	3. Between Friends and Enemies

Disclaimer: I do not own _Hellsing_ or _Yu Yu Hakusho_ or any of the characters or concepts contained therein. No profit is made by the writing of this fic bar my own entertainment and hopefully the entertainment of others.

**PRELUDE TO WAR**

Part Three – Between Friends and Enemies 

_I'd rather chase your shadow all my life  
Than be afraid of my own  
__I'd rather be with you  
__I'd rather not know where I'll be  
__Than be alone and convinced that I know  
_-- "Spin", Lifehouse

In the pale light of early morning, when the night watch was just signing off, a pale fox padded across the grounds of Hellsing manor. It stayed well out of sight of the guards, and just as well, for it was really more silver than it was white, and its five tails made it stand out a little from an ordinary fox. It also wore a tiny silver stud in its right ear. In the trees above it, a shadow blurred through the branches, making barely a sound except for the occasional flicker of leaves. Both moved swiftly and silently towards a wide balcony overlooking a well-kept terrace.

The fox paused beneath the balcony, watching with golden eyes the shadows beneath the overhang. There were heavy doors in the shadows, but they were closed and undoubtedly locked. A light was still on behind the blinds, however. The golden eyes closed, and the creature shifted subtly into a bipedal form that could not be called human. It still had a tail, for one thing, and ears that perked inquisitively from where a headband would have been placed. Though 'it' was most definitely male, his features had an almost feminine beauty, and his liquid movements reminded the theoretical watcher very much of a woman's intrinsic grace.

The shadow blurred to the edge of the balcony, coalescing into the form of Hiei. He had washed his bandanna, but a stain still blossomed over the left-hand side of it. The silver-haired demon below – for surely he was a demon also – crouched and then leaped lightly to land on the same balcony edge. Giving his shorter companion a slight smile, he dropped lightly to the balcony floor and shook out his hair. As though it had been nought but a trick of the light, the silver hair and white toga dissolved to reveal Kurama's somewhat wilder red locks and a green tunic with gold piping and a subtle vine pattern to the fabric.

The redhead approached the doors, sighing slightly. The lock was on the inside, of course. He took a tiny seed from his hair, pressing it to grow with a small amount of his own _youki_. He slid it into the crack between the doors and waited for a few seconds, his eyes closed. A soft _click_, and Kurama pushed the door open.

At the desk sat a woman with long, pale blond hair and darker skin than Kurama had come to expect of the English. She wore large round spectacles and calmly watched him down the barrel of a pistol of her own as she demanded, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

From behind him, Kurama heard Hiei draw his katana, and made a stilling motion with his hand. "I presume you are the director of Hellsing?" She nodded once, eyes narrowing. "It's rather rude to send a pair of vampires after us without even knowing who we are. But we've come to expect that of humans."

The woman's finger remained steady on the trigger. "You're the demons Alucard sensed last night. Answer my question." Kurama smiled. "What amuses you?"

"You remind me very much of a friend of mine." He replied primly. "In answer to your questions, I would speak to you about the unfortunate incident that occurred last night. I am Min—Shuichi Minamino is my human name, but I am more widely known as Kurama. My companion is Hiei." He bowed from the waist.

"Integra." The word was crisp and slightly irritated. She reached over to the telephone sitting on her desk, removed the receiver and dialled a number – the gun never wavered. "Walter. I have a pair of demons in my office …And Alucard, if you please." She hung up. "You'll forgive my suspicion, I'm sure."

"Of course." Kurama allowed graciously. "It is only natural." He turned his back calmly on Integra to smile at Hiei. "Hiei, I'm sure the katana will not be necessary." He said. The shorter demon glared at him.

"It'll remain necessary for as long as she has a gun levelled at your head, fox." He said pointedly. Integra's lips twitched in a barely suppressed smirk.

"And the gun will be lowered as soon as Walter and Alucard get here." On cue, the door opened and an elderly butler with a monocle entered through it. The red-clad vampire Alucard did enter through the door, but it involved somewhat more _through_ than the butler could manage. Integra waited until they were by her side, then put up her pistol. Hiei eyed them all for a moment, distrustful. Kurama placed his hand on Hiei's shoulder, and the shorter demon sheathed his sword.

Alucard grinned an eerie grin from behind his master as Integra gestured them to the pair of chairs in front of her desk. "What is it that you would like to discuss, Mr. Minamino?"

"Please, call me Kurama." The red-haired demon replied with a polite smile. "I wanted to make sure that you understood our purpose for being in London, so that we could have no further misunderstandings." He tucked a stray lock behind his ear and continued with the same slight warmth in his voice. "As you have mentioned, we are indeed demons… but not the type that you are associating us with, I'm afraid."

Integra raised an eyebrow. The butler, who must be Walter, flexed his fingers slightly. Kurama's eyes did not waver, but Hiei caught the flicker of movement about the fingertips and tensed all over again.

"We are in no way connected to the Hell of your religion. Hiei and I, although I'm somewhat… complicated, originate from a plane I will refer to as _Makai_. The nearest translation is probably 'demon world', but a thorough understanding of it isn't really necessary." Kurama said, business-like. "We have recently come from Japan on business, which I'll get to in a moment. The world – the universe – is divided into three realms – _Makai_, _Reikai_ – the spirit world, and _Ningenkai_ – the human world. Right now, we are obviously in _Ningenkai._ _Reikai_ is quite obviously linked to the heaven and hell of a good many religions, including yours, director."

Integra's sceptical look remained in place, but Alucard began to look thoughtful.

"Hiei and I are currently in the employ of _Reikai_. We work as detectives, taking care of inter-world crimes. One such crime is the summoning of the demons that you, yourselves, are hunting and I presume, have mistaken us to be." Kurama voice was almost jovial. Hiei's murderous glare was not. "Until now, we have worked solely in Japan on these investigations, as that is where the barriers between the three realms are the weakest. However, someone has managed to break through to Makai in this region, so Hiei and I were dispatched to deal with the threat and those who caused it."

Integra's frown deepened slightly. "I don't suppose you have any paperwork to prove this?"

Kurama sighed. He'd been afraid of this. "So sorry, no. We were supposed to stay undercover and away from your organisation, since _Reikai_ thought that you would also be trying to handle this case. However, since our commander does so love his little jokes," And Kurama was going to rose whip Koenma into oblivion on his next visit to _Reikai_, parole or no parole, "We were not informed that you had a pair of vampires at your disposal, and would therefore be able to sense – and misinterpret - our movements."

Integra's eyes narrowed slightly. "I see."

Kurama smiled disarmingly. "Furthermore, I suggest we work together to deal with the threat as soon as possible." Hiei made a sound of annoyance and transferred his glare to Kurama, who ignored him. "Also, I wonder if I might offer my assistance in healing, ah, the 'Police Girl'?"

Integra pursed her lips, deliberating. Her biggest priority was dealing with the demon threat as soon as possible. If these two were telling the truth, they could help her do that. If they were lying, what would prompt Kurama to offer his aid? _To get you to trust him_, her mind replied easily. Integra glanced at Alucard.

My Master? What do you think of this situation, Alucard? 

_Hiei has wards on his power, heavy Eastern-style wards. Kurama's is concealed to some extent, behind a second mind._ She could practically feel him grinning. _Given the chance, they could obliterate this place in a second, My Master, and not even I could do a thing to stop them. There is no need for them to go through this unless they actually do want to help._

Integra swallowed quietly, but her expression did not change. "I see no advantage to you in cooperating with us, Kurama."

"Well, no more random vampire assaults, for one thing." The red-haired demon's smile widened slightly and became a little mischievous. "The sooner this case is solved, the sooner I can go home, director. Since the incident occurred in your country, I'm sure you have more information than we do. Our commander has an unfortunate tendency to release minimal information and let us get along on our own." He twirled one red forelock in his fingers idly. "Besides, I loathe Western food."

Integra quirked an eyebrow at that. "Walter. Please tell the staff to ready two rooms, and then conduct Kurama to the Police Girl. We are a nocturnal organisation, so a report will be prepared for your perusal by this evening." She said crisply. Walter bowed.

"Of course, sir." As Kurama had expected, his voice was one of those pleasant English voices, genteel and well modulated. Walter turned to his demon charges and said, "Please follow me."

Kurama stood, bowed to Integra and Alucard once more, and followed the old butler. Hiei watched the vampire for a moment with narrowed eyes, and then tailed Kurama out of the room.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Excuse me... Walter-_san_?" Kurama inquired softly. The older man stopped and turned to face the redheaded teenager.

"What can I do for you, sir?"

Kurama wondered how to phrase his request so as not to give the old man a heart attack, or inspire any cries of 'freak' and worse. Nations outside Japan tended to be less tolerant of this sort of thing, or so he'd heard, and… "Only one room will be necessary."

"Certainly, sir. With two beds?" Walter replied, pitched carefully so as not to offend.

"Ah, no." Kurama admitted. "One bed, please."

"Of course, sir." Walter issued a small bow before turning and continuing to lead them through the manor. Kurama issued a small sigh of relief and slipped his hand into Hiei's. "Master Kurama, the Hellsing organisation also houses numerous military staff. If you do not wish to be troubled, I would suggest highly discreet conduct."

Kurama grinned at the man's back. "Of course, Walter-_san_." Hiei was short enough to make him a target for the Westerners, and Kurama had been ridiculed for his appearance more than once. "We will modify our behaviour to your customs. We are the visitors, here."

Walter directed a slight smile over his shoulder as he led them down into the basement. "Very good, sir."

The demons trailed him down a long, dimly lit corridor to a steel-reinforced door. Walter yanked competently on the bolt and held the door open for them. Hiei preceded Kurama into the room, which contained an exceptionally large coffin and sparse furniture.

Alucard drifted lazily down through the ceiling. "Your mastery of fire is impressive, Hiei."

The red-eyed gaze was calm and only slightly hostile. "Hn."

Walter hit a button on the outside of the coffin, and with a low mechanical whine, the lid began to slowly rise up into the roof. Both demons winced at the noise. "Miss Victoria has been resting since she arrived. She has consumed two pints of B-negative blood." Walter informed them. "Please tell me if there is anything you require."

Kurama smiled slightly. "A bowl of warm water and a cloth would be very helpful, Walter-_san_." The butler disappeared at once to fetch it. Hiei leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, as Kurama pulled a chair over to the side of the coffin to look over the body of 'Miss Victoria'.

Her skin was charred all over, though raw pink patches had appeared down her arms. Her short blond hair had been singed a little, but that was the least of Kurama's concerns.

"Alucard-_sama_, I'm not sure how a good deal of my plants will react to a vampire, but I cannot imagine that your general composition is much different from a human's." He murmured, running a hand through his hair and plucking out several seeds. As Alucard watched in interest, he grew them to the roughly the size of a foot ball and set them down on the mattress inside the edge of the coffin.

"She should not react badly to anything a human would not react badly to, and she should be immune to most poisonous plants." The other vampire intoned. Kurama liked the sound of his voice, too, now that it wasn't particularly hostile. "You control plants, and Hiei controls fire."

"That's right." Kurama agreed as he started to strip the leaves from the plants he had grown. "Although, Hiei is actually a fire demon. I am a fox spirit. I've developed an affiliation with plants over time, whereas Hiei has manipulated and created fire from birth."

"_Kitsune_." Hiei muttered in a warning tone. Kurama smiled over his shoulder at the shorter demon.

"And you're both from Japan." Alucard queried flatly. Kurama nodded, ignoring the warning look he was receiving from his lover.

"Yes. Eighteen years ago, I lived in _Makai_, its greatest thief – then, I was known as the Youko. I was hunted, badly wounded, and fled to _Ningenkai_, where I inhabited the body of a human, still in its mother's womb." Kurama thanked Walter as the butler returned, bearing a large basin of lightly steaming water and several washcloths.

"That explains your two minds." Alucard commented. He was currently standing on the ceiling, above the sleeping Police Girl, carefully keeping her asleep with his own mind. "And what of Hiei? He's heavily warded. _Much_ more heavily than I am." He examined his gloves briefly.

Kurama smiled secretively. "The dark flame is a troublesome power."

Hiei's eyes snapped open. "_Kitsune!_"

Kurama glanced over his shoulder at the bristling fire demon and bowed his head in acquiescence. He took up his pile of removed leaves and began to tear them into tiny pieces. Alucard could tell that no more would be said about the dark flame.

- - - - - - - - - -

A/N: I think I've explained everything that needed explanation in the chapter text itself, but please tell me if there's anything else you're puzzled by.


	4. Young Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own _Hellsing_ or _Yu Yu Hakusho_ or any of the characters or concepts contained therein. No profit is made by the writing of this fic bar my own entertainment and hopefully the entertainment of others.

A/N: The Police Girl wakes. Oh, and KxH mush.

**PRELUDE TO WAR **

Part Four – Young Blood 

Seras Victoria opened her eyes and felt something suspiciously slimy on her forehead. She raised her hand, and felt pulpy slime drip from her fingers. She grit her teeth determinedly to avoid making a girly noise when she saw dark bluish-green paste smeared thickly all over her bare hand.

"Good evening, Police Girl."

Seras looked to her left to see her master's head poking out of the wall several feet above her head. She observed him gravely for a moment and said, "I'm not drinking any more blood." It was a firm statement, something not often made by Hellsing's timid Draculina, and Alucard grinned to hear it.

"As it happens, you don't have to any more."

She stared at him, but he offered no more information. A soft sound, the clearing of a throat, came from her right. Seras twisted slightly to see the redheaded demon and her eyes widened enough that he held up his hands.

"I see Alucard-_sama_ is quite as obtuse as my partner. We aren't enemies at present." The voice was lightly masculine and reassuring, speaking with perfect and barely accented English. He stood and bowed from the waist, then settled again, crossing his long legs. "I am Kurama, a fox demon currently in human form. My partner, whom was unfortunately responsible for your condition, is called Hiei."

Seras managed, "Pleased to meet you." Her throat felt like she'd swallowed cement. Kurama, anticipating this, held out a glass of water to her.

"I realise you can't drink much of this without becoming ill, but as you have said, you're not drinking any more blood tonight." A sparkle in eyes the same green as a forest. "Wouldn't want to destroy your lovely figure."

Seras' eyes widened ever so slightly at the flattery, and then she smiled shyly. It had been so long since someone had teased her about something as normal as that. She accepted the glass and took a small sip, then another. Her throat felt much better, then. "Thankyou very much, Kurama." She said, trying not to smear too much of the goo on her fingers onto the glass. "But if you don't mind my asking… what _is_ this stuff?"

Kurama didn't mind her asking at all. "Tincture of Mafuru leaves and berries. The leaves act as a cooling agent, and the berries also carry properties common to human disinfectants. A plant from the demon world." He gestured to the small bowl he had mixed it in.

Seras peered at the blue-green stuff interestedly, brow furrowing slightly. "Looks like pesto…" Kurama looked nonplussed.

"I wouldn't recommend ingesting it, if that's what you mean…" He frowned and reached up to touch the tiny silver bob attached to his ear. "This translator charm needs work…" He muttered to himself. Seras blinked.

"Translator charm? You mean you don't speak… oh, of course. You must be Japanese." Seras was pleased she'd recognised this much from the '-_sama'_ added to her master's name. She held up her hands, still covered in tincture of Mafuru and wiggled her fingers. "I can count to ten, but that's about the limit of my linguistics." Kurama returned the bright smile.

"English is a common subject in Japanese schools. But we hardly learn to speak about vampires and demons. Without the translator, I'd be able to order a coffee… and perhaps find my way to a public bathroom."

Seras beamed. "Well, Japanese is offered at a number of schools these days, but I'm afraid I never had the chance to continue it past my first year of high school. I just can't _remember_ anything…" She frowned a little. Kurama smiled reassuringly.

"That won't be a problem. Minor translation difficulties aside, it won't be necessary for you to speak anything other than English."

Sensing someone approaching him from behind, Alucard retreated through the wall, ignored by the Police Girl and Kurama alike. He turned to find Hiei standing with his arms crossed several feet away. The little demon's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the ever-present mocking expression on Alucard's face.

They stared at each other for a minute or so. Alucard, who had been expecting the demon to speak, tilted his head slowly to one side, a smirk widening on his lips. Hiei looked to be sizing him up. Finally the fire demon let out a derisive breath through his nose and dropped his arms to his side, eyes dropping secretively shut. He still didn't speak.

Alucard raised an eyebrow at this behaviour. "Your partner has a gift for putting people at ease." He said. The vampire knew little of demons other than those of his own ilk, but it _had_ to be common courtesy to compliment a demon on his beautiful, talented mate. Hiei made a noncommittal sound. It seemed that the fire demon did not share Kurama's gift. Alucard wasn't even certain he admired it.

"Was there some reason you came here?" Alucard asked, when the diminutive demon refused to speak. Hiei opened his eyes and regarded the vampire dispassionately.

"Your fledgling is weak." He said. It wasn't an accusation, merely an observation of fact. "Make her stronger, or risk her destruction. Some of the demons that have been allowed through the barrier are as high as C-Class."

Alucard tilted his head slightly. "What exactly is a C-Class demon?"

Hiei flexed his shoulders slightly and said, in a bored tone, "Classes of demon range from S-Class, extremely powerful, all the way down to G-Class or H-Class. S-Class, A-Class, B-Class, C-Class…" As he stepped down the class system, his voice became derisive. Alucard snorted.

"And what are you?"

Hiei smirked almost imperceptibly and turned away, dark cloak rippling slightly with the movement. "The class system is based on the threat a demon can pose to human lives. You are B-Class bordering on A-Class, Alucard-_sama_, with the aid of your familiars." He walked swiftly but unhurriedly away from the vampire.

Alucard glared after him, feeling a mixture of irritation and mild awe. It wasn't every day his power was disdained by someone half his height. He stood for a few moments, thoughtful, and then walked back into the Police Girl's dungeon, through the wall. Seras paused in her conversation with Kurama to stare at her master before resuming her discussion (involving hair ties) with the fox demon. Hiei sidled into the room moments afterward, and approached Kurama's chair.

Seras' voice stilled again as Hiei leaned against the chair at the redhead's shoulder, watching her silently. Kurama glanced around with a smile and said softly, "Hiei... _daijoubu desu ka?_" Hiei shrugged. Seras beamed.

"I understood that!"

Hiei stared at her and Kurama turned back to her with a smile. "Very good, Victoria-_san_." Beneath her covering of Mafuru goop, Seras blushed slightly. Hiei's eyebrows twitched ever lower as he scowled at her, but she seemed not to notice his annoyance, focusing instead upon the radiant youko, who was currently less radiant and more yawning behind his well-manicured hand. "I'm sorry. I'm quite tired. If you don't mind, I believe I will retire for the evening, since you vampires can handle the night time security."

"Oh!" Seras sounded delighted. "Are you staying with us?"

"Yes. We'll be collaborating with the Hellsing organisation on this case." Kurama stated brightly. "Hiei and I are staying upstairs."

"That's great news! I suppose I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then."

"I suppose you will." Kurama agreed, green eyes crinkling slightly. He stood and turned to Hiei, who was still glowering, offering a soothing smile and a light brush of a hand across the shorter demon's shoulder. "Victoria-_san_, you may wash off the Mafuru if you wish. I'll have to reapply it in the morning."

"Oh… If that's all right." Seras agreed uncertainly. "…sleep well Kurama, Hiei." She shifted herself slightly and then clambered out of her four-poster coffin as the two demons quit the room. When she turned to Alucard, she found her master regarding her with an expression halfway between amusement and disdain. "Is something the matter, Master? Did I do something… wrong…?" She trailed off as Alucard dissolved into mist and seeped slowly from the room. A frown crossed her face and then she grit her teeth. "Bloody great pillock…"

- - - - - - - - - -

Kurama collapsed onto the bed the Hellsing Organisation had provided them without so much as removing his shoes. He'd been awake for… a slight frown crossed his features as he stared at the ceiling, considering. It must have been at least thirty-six hours since he'd slept last. He'd been awake since Hiei's nails had broken the skin of his forearm when the plane had hit turbulence early the previous morning.

Kurama smiled softly as he rolled to face his mate. Hiei was examining the window with distaste, having prowled the length of the room with suspicion. Kurama had no doubts that, left to his own devices, Hiei would actually conduct a thorough investigation of every object in the room to ascertain whether anything had been manipulated to work against them.

"Hiei…"

The soft call made Hiei's shoulders stiffen. He glanced back over his shoulder, stare cold and only slightly curious. Kurama's green eyes softened in concern.

"I asked, but you didn't answer: is everything okay?"

Hiei turned his head back towards the window and glared hard at it for a few minutes. When next he turned to face Kurama, his eyes were closed and a slight smirk was on his lips. He strode to the bed, opening his eyes only a sliver when he sat and gently removed the youko's loafers.

Kurama was caught between sighing happily and glaring at him. He kept avoiding this question. The glare won out, and green eyes followed Hiei as he removed his cloak and the soft-soled boots, crawling across Kurama to lie down on the opposite side of the bed.

Kurama extended long, lean arms and pulled Hiei closer to him, holding him possessively to his chest. "I did ask you a question, Hiei."

Hiei sighed. It was a bare puff of breath, but it was a sigh. Kurama kissed the side of his neck gently. One long-fingered hand insinuated itself beneath Hiei's gi and stroked the fire demon's stomach gently, pleadingly.

Hiei tilted his head backward to rub it against the youko's cheek more firmly. "You were flirting with her." He said softly. Kurama's eyes widened and his hand froze. The accusation stung.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing." Hiei spat, sullenly falling into silence again. He tugged himself impatiently free of Kurama's lax, surprised arms and shifted away from him in the heavy sheets.

Kurama sat up and stared at his mate. Hiei felt the mattress shift as the youko left the bed. He closed his eyes stubbornly, scowling at his own insecurity. _Ridiculous to even bring up such a thing._ He felt hands on his face and his eyes shot open to stare directly into Kurama's emerald eyes.

Kurama traced the fire demon's cheekbones with his thumbs, moving his hands back to tangle in thick, dark hair as he crawled back onto the mattress. "Hiei…" Kurama nuzzled his mate's neck and nipped it lightly, pressing his body to Hiei's. The fire demon, though captivated by the proximity at first, scowled stubbornly and ignored the youko. Kurama smiled.

"I'm sorry if it seemed that way, love." He threaded his fingers through Hiei's hair, kneaded the tight shoulder muscles with his other hand and felt nothing. He moved both hands to the nape of Hiei's neck, fingers gently running along the ridge of vertebrae. Hiei shivered and opened his eyes.

Kurama looked directly at him as he said, with perfect sincerity, "I don't care for her. It's you I love."

Hiei stared at him for a moment. A small, satisfied smile curved his lips and he pushed himself forward to kiss the youko, small, powerful arms wrapping around Kurama's waist. "I know," he murmured once the kiss was broken. "Sleep, fox."

As though Hiei had spoken some sort of enchantment, Kurama's eyelids fluttered. "'Kay," he muttered, burying his face in Hiei's hair. "G'night, love."

"Hn."

- - - - - - - - - -

A/N: I know. These chapters are short. I promise that they're going somewhere, though.


	5. Balance of Power

All disclaimers and warnings contained in the first chapter.

A/N: You knew it had to happen.

**PRELUDE TO WAR**

Part Five - Balance of Power

Kurama woke, very briefly, just as the sun was rising. Hiei was carefully rearranging his mate's limbs in order to leave the bed. Kurama made a soft sound of protest, sticking out his lip slightly. Hiei chuckled and pecked him on the forehead.

"The vampires are bedding down. Go back to sleep, fox. I'll keep watch."

A callused hand brushed through his hair, strands snagging on the roughness of the palm. Kurama didn't mind. He let out a soft, incoherent sound of assent and an only slightly clearer, "bhh c'fhhl" before settling back into sleep. Hiei allowed himself to smile for a moment and watched his mate's lax face - there were marks on it from creases in the pillow.

Shaking his head slightly, Hiei stood and donned his cloak.

-

Alucard had just settled into his coffin when he felt a tickle of power wash over his senses. He closed his eyes leisurely, intending to reach for the Police Girl and taunt her into improving herself further. As soon as he opened himself to the touch of the power, however, all movement towards the Police Girl ceased.

There was someone on the roof, someone with power so great that were it to flare it would eclipse his own. Alucard stared with his mind into a power that tasted strongly of ice and fire, a power with eyes, and slammed the gates to his mind closed.

_There was someone on the roof._

Alucard pushed the heavy lid to his coffin aside as though it was weightless. To him, it was. A snarl decorated his features as he considered his options briefly, liking none of them. As much as he loathed admitting it, he would require reinforcements. He closed his eyes, centred himself, and reached out more tentatively than he had in his life.

There was an answering flicker from the power above and then its eyes-and-ice touch skated over him, dismissing him as nothing. Snarl-lines appeared in the flesh around his mouth and, hating himself, he made himself small.

_Integra. My Master!_

Nothing.

_INTEGRA._

Sleepy but paying attention. _…What is it?_

Swiftly, he related the situation to her. By the time he was finished, she was scrambling from her bed and dialling for Walter. Alucard himself had moved upward through three basements, not bothering to cloak his ascent. The other would sense his shielding more clearly than his movement. It would be… inconsistent, for a power to blink out suddenly.

Alucard rose, donning his precious sunglasses. His eyes narrowed hatefully as he passed through the roof and settled onto it, pale morning sunlight irritating him with its presence.

A demon sat near the edge of the slate roof of Hellsing Manor, legs crossed Indian-style. He glanced back at Alucard curiously, pale green elfin features bored. A large, glowing third eye was centred on his forehead, emitting a soft violet sheen of power. The two regular eyes on his face narrowed slightly.

"Do you guard well into the day?" Hiei asked, somewhat surprised. "I would have expected you to relax your duties while it's light."

Alucard smirked. "Did you think you could release that much power without attracting our attention?" He settled comfortably into a battle stance, facing the pale fingers of dawn. Hiei's eyes widened and then he smirked in return as Alucard's dark, throaty voice rang out over the slate rooftop. "Releasing control art restriction system to level one."

-

Kurama's eyes snapped open, entire body set hastily in stone. He stayed that way for the space of a heartbeat. Then green eyes froze and he whisked away from the bed, hair silvering, a tail flickering into existence.

In the twitch of an ear, he was gone.

-

Alucard's left arm peeled away from his body, scarlet eyes glittering in the lightless crack that appeared. The arm slowly dissolved into the blackness, as though the eyes ate their way down the arm, and the hand shaped itself into the head of a salivating hellhound. Its eyes rolled in ecstasy in anticipation of the battle to come.

Hiei barely had the time to stand as the hellhound launched itself at him - or at least, that's the way it should have happened.

Instead, Hiei rolled to the side, gaining his feet and blurring into motion in the blink of one of Alucard's many, many eyes. The dark streak that was the hellhound curved in midair to go after the new target. Alucard detached his right arm, black, void tentacles snaking after the speedy fire demon.

Hiei made a small sound halfway between a laugh and a snort of contempt. In a swirl of dark cloth - the cloak - he blurred to the side once more. Alucard heard the hollow click of a katana coming free of its sheath and let out a bark of laughter and surprise as searing lines of pain seethed along the shadowy morass of his familiar-extended arms, spatters of his blood decorating the slate and glimmering darkly amidst the dew.

Hiei's eyes were amused as he turned to face the vampire, katana still held before him. He flicked it to rid the steel of the sheen of Alucard's blood, settling into a ready stance with the blade held alongside his face, on level with his normally placed eyes. The third pulsed faintly and a smile widened his pale green lips. "You're undead. I can't touch your mind." Rather than concerned, he seemed pleased by this fact.

Alucard found himself staring at the fire demon's bare arms and torso. Similar to the shadows enshrouding the vampire, eyes were there. But unlike Alucard's, these eyes did not merely lurk in shadows, staring like the eyes of Death and unnerving his opponent. These eyes bulged from sickly green flesh, twitching toward movement, staring directly at the vampire himself, not through him. There were eyes down his forearms, marching in rows along his abdominal muscles and smoothing across his pectoral muscles. Each was large and glistening, as eerie a purple as the third-eye that blazed with power in Hiei's forehead.

Alucard grinned.

-

Kurama shimmied up a drainpipe and let out a grunt of effort as he pulled himself onto the roof. Golden eyes narrowed as he gained the slate slope and he clawed his way to his feet amidst the soft silver cloud of his hair.

Across the manor's considerable roof-scape, he saw Hiei and Alucard - or at least, what he assumed was Hiei and Alucard. Part of one of the figures was wearing a red coat, at least, and there was a green-and-black figure moving at speeds that nearly escaped even Youko Kurama's eyesight.

But not quite.

Over to the left, he saw Integra, Walter and Seras explode out of a stairwell armed with enough small explosives to take on half the population of _Makai_. Seras was holding a small cannon - a deceptive description, since its barrel was longer than she was tall. With a snarl of frustration, Kurama dashed across the roof to join them.

Seras saw him coming, of course, and let out a cry of anger and fear, raising an arm in warning.

But not to him, of course.

Kurama had a sudden sinking feeling.

Walter raised his hands, and tiny glimmering threads snapped through the air towards Kurama, whose eyes widened considerably. Though the old human whipped his hands and fingers back and forth like a puppet master, there was _reiki_ in the movement of the tiny steel wires that extended from between the fingers of his gloves.

Fortunately for Kurama, the glow alerted him to the presence of the tiny razor wires - otherwise, he might have been sliced to ribbons. Instead, he threw himself to the side and raised a hand to his hair, automatically sending his _youki_ into the seed he withdrew. "_ROUZU UIPPU!_"

He got as far as snapping the weapon into a ready stance between both of his pale, long-fingered hands before he thought, _This is stupid._

He let go of the silver-haired form, flowing effortlessly back into the form of Shuichi Minamino - who was not wearing a shirt - and looking concerned.

Walter, Integra and Seras hesitated as he held up his hands and retracted the Rose Whip. "_Yamete!_" Kurama said, and blinked. _My earring._ His fists clenched as his mind frantically sought the words he needed. "Wait." He paused a moment longer. "I will stop Hiei."

This done, he reverted to Japanese, cupping his hands to his face and yelling across the rooftop. "_Oi! Hiei!_" The battle barely paused. Kurama scowled. "_Hiei! Yamero! OI!_"

The blur that was Hiei flickered briefly to a halt, and locked eyes with the redhead, who beckoned frantically. Hiei's eyes narrowed slightly.

In a flash of motion too fast for most to follow, he darted the length of the manor to his mate's side and stood with his katana at the ready, glaring at the impudent humans (and vampires) who dared to get his fox out of bed this early in the morning. He certainly was not expecting to receive a sharp cuff to the back of his head.

"Ow!"

-

Seras and Walter exchanged glances as Kurama ranted at the stunned Hiei in long, complex phrases of Japanese. Despite the language difficulty, they were both fairly sure they understood the gist of what Kurama was saying. Hiei did not look happy, clenching his fists and arguing back in equally furious Japanese.

Integra, who had been just about ready to retire for the day and as such was dressed in a nightdress and dressing gown, stared at the two demons for a moment and then said, slowly and clearly, "What the bloody hell is going on here?"

Both demons paused and glared at her. (This would have fazed any normal human, but Integra's glare was legendary and she was not about to take any second-rate death glares from _demons_.) So she glared back.

Kurama punched Hiei in the shoulder (causing the eye there to squeeze shut in pain) and crossed his arms, then - to their complete surprise - stuck out his hip and glared off sullenly into the distance. Hiei started to speak with a hint of gritted teeth in his tone.

"_Kurama_ says that this was a mistake." He ground out. "I was taking _watch_ when your idiotic _vampire_ came out of the roof and _challenged _me, despite our alliance, with no warning or indication that this was merely a training session. So, I retaliated."

Alucard seemed to have a different story. "I was just getting comfortable when I sensed the rise in your power. I assumed _you_ were challenging _us_."

Hiei's hands clenched on the hilt of his katana and he turned to Kurama and yanked on his hair viciously to get his attention. As he spoke bitterly in Japanese to the redhead, Walter leaned over to Seras. "They certainly don't _act_ like centuries old demons, do they?"

Seras shot him a dirty look. "What is that supposed to mean?" She retorted, somewhat sensitive about the fact that people tended to regard _her_ as childish.

Kurama replied to the shorter and currently greener demon rather curtly, then turned on his heel and marched over to the drainpipe he'd climbed to get to the roof. He grabbed it one-handed and swung himself over the edge. Seras watched, wide-eyed, until Hiei said grumpily, "He's going back to bed and he says I should apologise."

A pause.

"He also says that if we ever wake him up this early again over such a stupid mistake, he will take us and hang us from the cliffs of Gandara - which, for your information, is a region of _Makai._" He added shortly.

"I didn't think you spoke in long, complex sentences," Integra said blandly. Hiei glared at her, which unnerved her slightly - now the eyes all over his upper body were glaring, too.

"I'm translating," he said snappishly. "And now, I am resuming watch. Go back to your stupid human activities."

And so saying, he blurred back across the roof to his previous perch and sat down cross-legged on the slate. As the assembled humans and ex-humans watched, he swept the dark cloak back around his shoulders and closed the normal eyes.

Integra sighed slightly and hefted a large rifle back onto her shoulder, storming back into the stairwell without a word. Seras' sigh was a little heavier.

"I'm with Kurama on this one, Master." She said reproachfully. "I was just getting comfortable."

Alucard snorted and melted through the roof.

-

A/N: I know, I know, it was lame. The showdown between the eyes, however, was inevitable.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why Hiei's Jagan and various amplification eyes didn't cause both Walter and Integra to lose their marbles - well, he's much better at controlling the Jagan, now. This is set post mastering-the-Kokuryuuha, so he can do it. Nyaa. :feels oddly like Hirano-sensei maintaining that Anderson is fourth-dimensional:

Please review. :)


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